KDs are designed/developed/inspired/mused/auto-suggested/indigested to make folks think; an especially uncommon experience among Democrats, Republicans, and jingoistic mainline denominationalists who continue to discourage dissent with their ever-threatening thought police.

Anyway, they were
really big in the 70s and early 80s until, uh, you know, they, uh, fell from
their pedestals of pretended perfection erected by idolaters.

When Jimmy was
caught with Jessica and the other Jimmy damned him before getting caught with a
hooker in a no-tell-motel, lots of mainline denominational types rejoiced
openly; because, well, uh, the ministries of the Jimmies were
thriving while theirs were diving/descending/dying.

Mainliners were
almost giddy about it.

I'll never forget
a presbytery meeting in Kansas City when some guy couldn't resist poking fun at
'em.

Of course, that's
the old speck-inspecting way; until, uh, we get caught with our pants down.

Religious people
love to point out the sins of others; until, you know, they get caught with
their logs out.

It brings to mind
a Sunday morning congregational prayer: "And now our hearts go out for all
of those pure and perfect newsmen pointing out the sins of others."

Getting back to
the Jimmies and how too many relished their falls, I got up when the guy
finished his report about something that I forget and said, "Well, I know
Jimmy Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart screwed up; but as we bask in their failures, I
can't keep from saying, despite their humanity, how many more people that
they've led to Jesus as Lord and Savior than any of us have. Come to
think of it, I'll bet they've led more people to Jesus than our whole
denomination in the last decade or so."

The silence was
deafening.

The stares were
unsettling.

A synod executive
- that's kinda like an uber-bishop in our franchise - cornered me during a
tinkle break and said, "Kopp, if you keep making comments like that,
you're never going to get anywhere in our denomination."

I asked,
"Did you say abomination?"

He didn't laugh.

It was another
reminder that some folks are humorless; or, admittedly, think I am.

He remains right
about me and the franchise.

I have more of a
chance of becoming Rome's guy dressed in white than becoming...

@#$%

When I was a
really important senior pastor
in really big churches in Kansas City and North Carolina long before I was
anywhere near mature enough for the gigs as confirmed by my humanity, I was a
part of a group of really important senior
pastors.

I mean really important senior
pastors of reaaaaaaallllllly
big and important - spelled m-o-n-e-y - churches.

We met at least
yearly to sit and talk about how bad things were becoming and how we
should/could...

After a while, a
few of us dropped out; because we knew none of us were really going to risk any
of our perks and privileges by taking on the increasingly irretrievable
apostasy under current management.

Essentially, we
just butt-sat, bantered, and moaned about it.

Truth is, when we
met, we had enough combined resources that we could have done something about
it.

We didn't, again,
because we did not want to risk our perks, pensions, privileges, and perches.

Sooooooo as Wyatt said to
Billy in Easy Rider, "We
blew it."

Truth is we
were-maybe-still-are like most American Christians: "As long as I've got
my six-pack and the Yankees are on the dope box..."

As long as we're
safe, we ain't gonna risk...

@#$%

I chair a
committee in our presbytery.

Somebody who I
really respect and really like just resigned because, well, uh, she/he is
really, really, really busy.

Understood.

I wrote: "I
understand, friend; and reluctantly on behalf of the...accepted...It seems that
able and caring saints like you are being asked to do more and more and more
and...Again, I understand..."

Continuing: "Unfortunately,
as we will increasingly though grudgingly acknowledge, the devolution and
decline of our franchise means we have fewer and fewer and fewer horses for the
races before us...My concern is we will return to just filling holes with whomever
for whatever regardless of..."

Concluding:
"That's just the way things are whether we like it or not...I will pray
that our Lord releases unnecessary burdens and equips and encourages you for
the necessary that has prompted this decision...Quickly, we are approaching the
time when we will have to modify our immediate organizational structure and
authoritative connections...The discretionary and obligatory are always in
conflict..."